


Malleable Minds

by cre8iveovadose



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, Cutting, M/M, Major Character Injury, Major and Minor Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, post Parade Day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2018-01-25 17:17:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1656275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cre8iveovadose/pseuds/cre8iveovadose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos is living in Radon Canyon with the remainders of Tamika Flynn’s army and the citizens who have remained loyal to Night Vale – the real one, not the watered down StrexCorp version. But Cecil is still lost to them and with only Khoshekh and Steve Carlsberg for company, Carlos is beginning to lose the tenuous grip he has on his sanity. Night Vale was strange enough before but without Cecil, there is no hope at all. Until they decide to do something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Swearing, self harm, blood, violence, major and minor character death - These apply to the fic as a whole.

**MALLEABLE MINDS**

 

Chapter 1:

Carlos felt the terror rise in his chest as he listened to Cecil’s cries on the radio. There was clattering and clamouring before the air went dead, Daniel presumably cutting the broadcast. Biting his lip, Carlos waited a moment, hoping that it was some kind of mistake and that the broadcast would resume and Cecil would be back to his normal self. The broadcast did resume but it was not Cecil’s voice speaking into the microphone.

“We’re so sorry for that, listeners. It’s just a minor behavioural issue. I’m sure we’ll have it sorted out in a moment but for now, let me bring you to the weather.”

Carlos swore as he got to his feet. StrexCorp were at it again. He carefully lifted Khoshekh from where he was asleep on the couch, being mindful of his injured paw. Shoving his feet into his shoes, he made his way outside where he found that many of their neighbours had also come outside to see what was going on. Looking in the direction of the radio station, Carlos could see yellow helicopters circling and hovering over it.

“What do we do?” a woman cried.

“We should go to Radon Canyon! Cecil said that’s where Tamika Flynn’s army was. Some of them might have gotten away,” someone else said.

“But that’s where StrexCorp’s headquarters are! We should go to the Whispering Forest!”

There was a commotion as people began to argue before Old Woman Josie appeared. “StrexCorp have captured City Hall! Their base is abandoned and dissolving into the ground. Tamika has been captured but yelled for everyone to go to Radon Canyon!”

People began running down the road towards the highway that would lead them to Radon Canyon. Carlos hesitated, glancing back to the radio station, but he knew he couldn’t go up against Lauren and Daniel on his own. Cradling a yowling Khoshekh against his chest, Carlos began making his way to Radon Canyon.

As he ran, the world dissolved around him before he found himself watching as Hiram McDaniels slammed a scaly fist on the table.

“HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO SIT AND WAIT? THEY’VE STOLEN CECIL AND TAMIKA AND THE FACELESS OLD WOMAN WHO SECRETLY LIVES IN OUR HOMES! THEY CAN’T BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT!”

_They’ve stolen Cecil_ , Carlos thought over and over again. He felt tears well in his eyes and his chest tightened as he staggered away from the wavering image in front of him. He shook his head, grabbing fistfuls of his hair and trying to hold his screams of anguish inside before he fell to his knees.

“CECIL!” he screamed, long and loud. When he was out of breath, Carlos’s world grew silent and he felt the air grow close around him. He lay down on his side, curling up as he cried and muttered Cecil’s name over and over.

“I love you, Cecil. You have to come back to me…”

“Carlos?”

“Please Cecil.”

“Carlos.”

“I need you back.”

“Carlos!”

Carlos felt someone shaking him when he woke and jumped when he saw Old Woman Josie leaning over him. He pushed himself up, hearing Khoshekh meow in disapproval as he fell from where he’d been asleep on Carlos’s stomach. Carlos glanced around at the rocks and cave walls as he remembered that he was still living in Radon Canyon. Khoshekh came back and smooched up against his chest, making Carlos sneeze. He wiped his nose on his sleeve before Old Woman Josie handed him a Claritin. He swallowed it with ease before sitting up properly, rubbing at his eyes.

“How much more of that do I have?” Carlos asked through a yawn.

“None.” Old Woman Josie looked him up and down. “You have a lot of nightmares these days.”

Carlos nodded, still exhausted. Rocks and dirt did not make for a comfortable bed. “We live in a nightmare, Josie. It doesn’t matter what I dream about – nothing will bring him back.”

“He’ll be alright. Hiram is still trying to convince the others of a rescue mission. It won’t be long before he manages it. Those heads of his can be very persuasive.” Old Woman Josie paused before asking, “What did you dream about?”

Carlos shrugged one shoulder. “Just the day it all happened. I remember it so vividly but it just… It hurts so much thinking about his cries, how shocked and afraid he must have been. I wonder if I could have done something, if I could have gotten him out of there. I guess I’ll never know.”

“It’s not as if Cecil’s dead, you know.”

“Yeah but he could be.” Carlos sighed and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter – you don’t understand.”

“I miss him too, you know. We always used to have such fun bowling. He really was a good shot. Always got his spares.”

“Josie, that really doesn’t help. I’ve lost my boyfriend to an insane company of unknown intent and origin. I would really just like to be left alone to wallow in my misery.”

“Whatever you say, Carlos.” Josie picked up Khoshekh and got to her feet. “I’ll take care of the cat, you head off to dinner.”

Carlos nodded as he stood, brushing off his jeans as he made his way out of the cave and down the steep narrow path that led to the tent at the bottom of the canyon. The remains of Tamika’s army had set up a decent base of operations but it was not built to support half of Night Vale. Not everyone had eluded StrexCorp on Parade Day but those who had were now living in the caves of Radon Canyon.

Peering down at the tent and the people loitering around it, Carlos decided against dinner. He pulled his jacket closer around him, turned and made his way up the path towards the cliffs. He had spent a lot of time up there in the weeks since fleeing town. At night he could watch the lights and hear Cecil’s voice dispelling the rumours that a Pink Floyd Multimedia Laser Spectacular had been held in the canyon.

When he reached the top of the cliffs, Carlos sat down on the edge and stared out across the canyon. The rock formations were beautiful but he couldn’t deny that he would rather be staring at them with Cecil. Even just thinking about him made Carlos want to cry. He knew he was spiralling into some sort of depression but there was little he could do about it. Until the citizens decided on a plan to rescue those who had been ensnared by StrexCorp, Carlos was stuck with his horrid emotions.

Thoughts moved through his head like water swirling down a drain. Ways he could have saved Cecil on Parade Day, what he could have done since then instead of hiding out in Radon Canyon, things in his lab that could help him get into StrexCorp-run City Hall. All of the ideas were great but he had no way to implement them – they could only ever be ideas without outside help. With another deep sigh, Carlos leaned back and stared up at the stars twinkling overhead.

Stars still made sense. They were still burning balls of gas millions of miles away, hanging in the sky to provide Earth with something beautiful to look at. At least, until they started moving around to form the lyrics to ABBA’s _Dancing Queen_. Carlos turned away with a groan.

“Why can’t anything in this place just be normal for five minutes?” he said to the empty air. No one responded which was more of a comfort than he expected it to be before he put his hands on the cliff edge. He frowned when he felt something smooth and cold press into his right palm.

Looking down, he could see something glint in the dim light and after brushing away the dust, he found it was shard of metal. Picking it up, he ran a finger along its edge and hissed when it pierced his skin. He licked off the blood that welled up from his fingertip before looking back to the shard. He couldn’t deny that pain seemed appealing – it had worked in the past when his mother had died – but he had fought long and hard to stop doing that.

_Once more won’t hurt you_.

“Yes it will.”

_Only if you let it_.

Carlos didn’t feel the first cut, or the second, and he wondered if he’d have felt the third if he hadn’t looked down and seen the blood. The blood that was running cold down his arm. He shivered and drew the sharp metal across his skin three more times. He leaned back until he was lying on the ground, and his legs dangled over the edge of the cliff. He could feel the blood run down his arm to where it dripped off of his elbow. He took a deep, steadying breath before he gazed back up to the stars. They had returned to their normal position except for two that seemed to twinkle particularly brightly.

“They look like Cecil’s eyes,” Carlos murmured.

The blood kept dripping and the stars kept twinkling and for the first time in weeks, Carlos felt content.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

When the image of Cecil’s tattooed third eye and expertly styled hair faded from his mind, Carlos returned to the camp at the bottom of Radon Canyon. As he approached the large tent that had been turned into a cafeteria, Carlos heard a roar that could only be Hiram McDaniels. Ducking inside, he cringed as Hiram’s green head yelled.

“We know the litany of crimes you’ve committed, _Steve Carlsberg_. We know that you don’t belong in Night Vale, that you moved here from Desert Bluffs. Why should we believe that you want to help?”

“Because I’ve already seen what StrexCorp can do! I know how they think, how they work. I can help us win! I can help rescue Cecil and Mayor Winchell and the Faceless Old Woman and Tamika.”

“Who’s to say you won’t just betray us?!”

“Stop it!” Carlos yelled. “What the hell are you fighting about now?”

John Peters – you know, the farmer – stepped up. His arms were folded across his chest and the peach and imaginary corn farmer appeared more anxious than Carlos had ever seen. “We got a radio transmission from WZZZ – that station with the woman who reads out the numbers and rings the chimes? Only it wasn’t her. It was Cecil.”

Carlos felt his heart skip and his arm twinge. He reflexively tugged down his sleeve over his hand before asking, “What did he say? Did he sound okay?”

“We recorded the transmission,” Steve said before they headed over to a small radio. Tamika’s army of well-read middle schoolers had built it out of debris found in the desert. A girl called Lucy who had a copy of _Moby Dick_ tucked under her arm pressed a button and a scratchy transmission began to play.

Cecil’s panicked voice came through the speakers. “Night Vale, I don’t know where you are or if there’s anyone to hear this message. It’s Cecil Palmer. I’ve snuck out of City Hall and back to the radio station but I don’t have much time. My program director, Lauren, seems to be in charge of the Night Vale branch of StrexCorp. They’ve been trying to brainwash – oh no. Someone’s coming. Listeners, I’m afraid I have to go. Tell Carlos I love him. Goodnight Night Vale goodni-”

“It cuts out there,” Lucy said with a sad expression as she stopped the recording.

“Are you alright, Carlos?” John Peters – you know, the farmer – asked.

Carlos ignored the question and looked around to Hiram and Steve. “So what do we do? We can’t just leave him if StrexCorp are trying to brainwash him.”

“We’ve already decided to try and rescue them, we just don’t know how to go about it,” Hiram McDaniels’ leading head said.

“I’m worried about whether or not we have enough resources,” Steve added. “Some of the people in Desert Bluffs tried to fight back and they struggled – that was before the StrexPets too.”

“Did Desert Bluffs have a five-headed dragon?” Carlos asked.

“A five-headed dragon might be helpful but there’s an army out there. An army with technologies that don’t even have names yet. We’re going up against the most powerful and deadly corporation in the known world. We need to be prepared beyond belief.”

Hiram shrugged a gigantic shoulder. “I can also only breathe fire from one head. Sure, some fire is better than none but I don’t know if that will be enough to dispatch StrexCorp.”

“We don’t need to dispatch them just yet.” Carlos thought for a moment, seeing a map of the town in his head. There were so many strange places in Night Vale, so many strange citizens who were still there that could be able to help. “We have secrets… We have the secrets of the weirdest, strangest town in the entirety of the United States. Is there no secret of Night Vale that we can’t use to get into City Hall to rescue them?”

“The Sheriff’s Secret Police,” John Peters – you know, the farmer – said. “They’re on our side. They might help us.”

“And Old Woman Josie’s angels,” Steve added. “We could ask her if they’ll help us.”

“We also have an army of well-read middle schoolers,” Lucy piped up. “We can figure out the best route to take to get to City Hall and where to go when you get in.”

Carlos nodded and looked around at the small group gathered around him. “Then it looks like we’re headed back to Night Vale.”

There was a small round of applause before the group dispersed again. Carlos turned to go back to his cave but was stopped by Old Woman Josie. She had Khoshekh in her arms, the cat looking around with wide, intrigued eyes.

“So you’re going back to the town?” Josie asked.

“Yes,” Carlos said with a nod. “Cecil broke out and managed to send a transmission. He said they’re trying to brainwash him. I can’t let them get away with that.”

“Are you sure we’re ready to go up against StrexCorp?”

“It’s just a rescue mission – it’s not like we’re trying to destroy them yet.”

Old Woman Josie raised an eyebrow. “Yet?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t want to save the town.”

“I do, of course I do. But I’m worried that you’re throwing yourself into danger needlessly. I’ve seen what fear can do to people, Carlos. I don’t want you to lose yourself in the search for Cecil, no matter what you call it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Carlos said. He waited, unsure, before asking, “Would your angel friends be able to help us?”

Old Woman Josie sighed but nodded with a wave of her hand. “Yes, fine, I’ll bring some of them with us.”

“Wait what? You’ll come with us?”

“Of course I will. You think I’m going to let you take my angels into town without me? And who else do you think is going to tell Hiram McDaniels not to burn the Faceless Old Woman to a crisp so he wins the mayoral election? Honestly, you young people, can’t believe an old woman would be willing to help save her friends.”

Carlos chuckled. “You always surprise me, Josie.”

“Good. Now go and eat something. Don’t think I didn’t see you go back up to the cliffs before.”

Nodding, Carlos turned to go back and find something to eat. He tugged his sleeve down again and swallowed as he hoped that Josie hadn’t seen too much. The secret up his sleeve was the only one he refused to surrender in his search for Cecil.

\-----

\-----

\-----

They were calling themselves a task force. There were five of them going now: Carlos, Hiram McDaniels, Old Woman Josie and two of her angels. Lucy had devised a route that would take them to City Hall from the south and had taught Carlos how to pick a lock. They had also found Carlos a gun to practice with, just in case something happened to Hiram or the angels. And so he stood on the top of the cliffs, firing rounds at a cactus that had been given an awful haircut by Telly the Barber.

Carlos was remembering Cecil’s outrage at Telly cutting his hair. It all seemed so far away and trivial now. He wondered if Cecil would even remember it if Carlos asked. He fired another shot, wincing as pieces of a cactus branch blew apart and fell into the dirt. Small clouds rose up from the ground, dispersing into the air, and Carlos sat down. He flicked the safety on and tossed the gun into the dust before he held his head in his hands.

_So much could go wrong. I thought this was a good idea but what if it doesn’t work? Cecil could die if it doesn’t work – they all could. I don’t want to find out what happens to people who let the mayor of Night Vale die, no matter how many impromptu press conferences she gives._

The cuts in his arm had grown itchy and as he tugged up his sleeve, several scabs tore open and he hissed at the sting of pain that danced on his nerves. He wiped at the blood, ignoring the dust he smeared into the wounds. It hurt but everything hurt these days. He felt pathetic to admit that everything hurt without Cecil.

Carlos’s eyes fell on the gun that lay in the dirt. He had already thought about it – it had been his first thought when they gave it to him. It would be so simple to put a bullet in his brain. He leaned forward and reached for the gun.

“Carlos?”

He yelped before scrambling around to find Dana standing behind him. Her brow was furrowed and she twisted a ring around her finger as she watched him.

“Dana, are you really here?” Carlos asked as he got to his feet. He backed away, feeling his heart pound as he watched Dana. She looked older – lines had formed around her eyes and mouth and her curly hair was grey at the roots.

“No, not really. But I turned my head slightly to the left and saw you with a gun and wanted to know what was going on. What is going on?” Carlos gulped as Dana stepped towards him. He tried to tug down his sleeve but she caught his arm and inspected the wounds. “Oh Carlos, what have you done?”

He yanked his arm free and pulled his sleeve over the cuts, cringing at the smearing of blood across his skin. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. What – What are you doing here?”

Dana’s disapproving expression bore into him until she looked back towards Night Vale. “I just wanted to see what was happening. I can’t get into the radio station anymore and I can’t find Cecil.”

Carlos sighed. “Yeah, well, no one can find Cecil. StrexCorp got him.”

Dana’s eyes widened, fear filling her expression. “They’ve captured him? Oh no. Is there – is there anything I could do?”

Carlos went to shake his head before a thought struck him. “Can you get into City Hall?”

Dana shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know. I can try.”

“That’s where they’re keeping him. Can you find Cecil? Can you come back and tell me where he is?”

Dana smiled at Carlos, the kind of smile that he remembered from movies and books and things he’d seen before coming to Night Vale. A mischievous smile that was usually attributed to heroines and unlikely heroes.

Dana nodded a sharp nod. “I can certainly try. Stay here, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She glanced to the gun that lay in the dirt between them. “And Carlos, leave that there. Alright?”

Carlos didn’t get a chance to respond before Dana disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Dana :) She's lovely. I hope you liked this chapter :) My mum and I were in a minor car accident yesterday though and my head's been a bit weird so I'm just gonna take my time for the next couple of days. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think :) -Em


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an FYI, I use the unofficial Night Vale map created by cryingmanlytears (@tumblr) for the town layout. You can find it on google images by typing in "night vale map" and it's the one with the tan background :) Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3:

Carlos had stayed up on the cliff top as long as he could stand but the summer sun was hot and when Dana didn’t return, he headed back down into the canyon. He didn’t sleep and he couldn’t stand to be within ten feet of Khoshekh anymore because of his allergies. Carlos was losing control and as each day passed with no news from Dana, more cuts made their way onto his arms. His wrists were an angry mass of blood and scars, covered in dirt and grime that needed more than a spit-wash to remove.

On the third day since he had first seen Dana, Carlos made his way up to the cliff later than usual. The sun was setting and a cool wind was blowing across the desert plains, ruffling his hair and making him shiver. He rubbed a hand over the concealed cuts, wincing in pain and hoping his temperature would drop before they headed into Night Vale. He had come up to the cliff to retrieve his gun which still lay in the dirt. He picked it up, the barrel warm from lying in the sun, and jammed it into a holster at his waist. He quickly searched for any note or sign from Dana but everything was just the same as he remembered it, even the fragmented branches of the shattered cactus.

Carlos turned when he heard panting and footsteps, smiling at Old Woman Josie who was flanked by two angels. The black one kept his head bowed and his arms folded while the blonde woman watched Old Woman Josie, as if waiting for instructions.

Old Woman Josie  swiped a hand across her brow before she straightened up. “Are you ready to go, Carlos?”

He nodded, glancing up at the sky that had swiftly turned dark, before wavering as he looked back to Old Woman Josie. His first few steps were more like staggers and he was surprised when he felt Josie’s hands on his shoulders.

“Carlos? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said with a stiff shake of his head. “Just tired.”

“You’re warm…”

“We do live in the desert.” Carlos straightened, sniffed, and started walking towards the path that led down to the canyon floor. “We should go.”

“Hiram is flying up here to meet us. We just have to wait here.”

Carlos growled and nodded, turning back to Old Woman Josie and her angels. He could hear the _flap_ of Hiram’s wings before the dragon appeared overhead. He landed a few hundred feet ahead of them, closer to the road that they would follow back to the town. When they reached the five-headed dragon, Hiram’s blue head turned to them.

“Are we ready for our mission then?” he asked.

“We are,” Carlos murmured.

“Climb on my back then. It will take us less time to get there if we fly.”

Carlos sighed as he approached Hiram’s side. He grabbed hold of one of the spikes on his front leg and began climbing up. “Only in Night Vale would I find myself climbing onto a dragon’s back.”

“You’re very welcome, sir. Miss Josie, would you care for a lift as well?”

“No thank you, blue head. My angels will take me.”

“Then let us be off.”

Carlos didn’t have enough time to grab a hold of something before Hiram took off. He grappled for a handhold, finally finding a spike to cling to, and tried to straighten up. Looking around, he realised that he could see not only the lights of Night Vale but the lights of Desert Bluffs as well. There were large cars and trucks dashing back and forth along Route 800 and smaller vehicles patrolling the streets of the town. Hiram dropped lower and lower until he landed in the northern half of the Sand Wastes. Carlos clambered down, his legs giving way beneath him when he hit the ground. He heard Josie call out his name as he shook his head and forced himself to stand. He wiped his hand across his brow, grimacing at the sweat that moistened his skin before he pulled his gun from its holster.

“The Sheriff’s Secret Police are everywhere, ma’am,” the black angel said.

“That’s alright, the Sheriff’s Secret Police are on our side,” Old Woman Josie murmured. “But hush now, we must start moving.”

“I will stay here until you reach City Hall, I am far too conspicuous,” Hiram’s blue head said.

They nodded before they set off towards City Hall. They wove in between buildings, hurrying across roads where they had to. They ran into no obstacles. Until Carlos stumbled and crushed his infected arm between himself and a building at the community college. He bit back a scream as he fell to his knees, cradling his throbbing arm against his stomach.

“Carlos, Carlos come on, we have to keep going,” Old Woman Josie said in hushed whispers.

“I can’t – I can’t,” Carlos gasped. He heard her swear before footsteps hurried towards them.

“Who goes th- Josie?”

Carlos watched through blurry eyes as Josie turned away from him. Two Secret Police officers stood over them but they had let go of their guns and were helping Josie up. Once she was standing, another moved to help Carlos up and he bit the inside of his cheek as they gripped his arm.

“What are you doing here? StrexCorp are looking for you,” one of the officers said.

“Hardy, we need to get to City Hall,” Josie said quickly. “We’re trying to find Cecil and Tamika and the others.”

The officer she called Hardy nodded. “We can make that happen. You’re a block away now – just follow us.”

Old Woman Josie nodded before she helped Carlos to his feet and with her angels at their side, they followed the Sheriff’s Secret Police officers. When they came across other officers they explained the situation with “Breaking out the Voice” but when they came across StrexCorp officials, Hardy gestured for them to hide.

“What are you doing out of your patrol area, Officer Hardy?”

“Shift change. Also wanted to grab some water for back at the southern post. This summer heat’s been getting to us.”

The StrexCorp employee made a dismissive noise before Carlos poked his head around the corner. Hardy waved them forward and they hurried across the road. City Hall was illuminated, the yellow tarp that covered it stark against the night sky.

Hardy pointed down a narrow alleyway. “There’s a fire door down there. The alarm doesn’t work but they’ve been keeping it locked. Good luck.”

“Thank you,” Old Woman Josie said before she turned to the blonde angel. “Fetch Hiram. Get him to distract the StrexCorp employees while we go inside.”

“Yes ma’am.” The blonde angel disappeared and Josie shoved Carlos towards the alleyway. They hurried down it and when they came to the fire door, Carlos dropped to his knees and took his lock pick from his pocket. It took him three tries with his shaking hands and the sweat stinging his eyes. When the lock clicked, Carlos sighed and pushed the door open. He heard Hiram’s roar overhead and after a blast of orange light filled the sky, they headed inside. There was no one in the sterile hallway and Carlos was surprised when the black angel pushed forward.

“Follow me. I can hear the little girl.”

Carlos and Old Woman Josie hurried after the angel, watching as he glanced at each door they passed, until he stopped by a flight of stairs.

“Down there. You’ll find all of them.” There was a loud bang upstairs and the building shook before Hiram roared again. Carlos swore before he hurried down the stairs. He cocked the gun when he reached the landing before bursting through the closed door.

The room before him was stark white and silver. Tamika Flynn, Pamela Winchell, and a figure whose face couldn’t be seen - the Faceless Old Woman - were strapped to silver tables. Old Woman Josie and her angel hurried forward to the free them.

“Carlos, they took Cecil and Dana away!” Tamika cried once she was free. She clambered down from the table, holding up the loose scrub pants she was dressed in. “I’ll take you to them.”

Carlos raced after Tamika who led him to what looked like an operating theatre. An area of the room was curtained off and when Tamika yanked the curtain away, Carlos felt the adrenaline spike as he saw Cecil sitting in a chair in front of Kevin and Lauren. The new radio presenters turned on Carlos but failed to see Tamika or Josie’s angels as they ran at them. Dana was crying in a chair beside Cecil, her hands tied behind her back. Carlos quickly freed Dana before he knelt in front of Cecil. The thorn branch tattoos were gone from his forearms and his third eye was nowhere to be seen either. Carlos reached for Cecil’s face but his blue eyes stared into nothingness.

“Cecil, Cecil, please, look at me! Say something!”

“Carlos, we need to get out of here!” Old Woman Josie yelled.

Carlos blinked the tears from his eyes and pulled Cecil up out of the chair. Dana hurried over to help, still hysterical as she took Cecil’s arm and they began pulling him out of the room. Tamika and the angel were still subduing Lauren and Kevin.

“Go, we’ll catch up!” Tamika cried.

Josie held the door open as Dana and Carlos pulled Cecil along. The Faceless Old Woman and Pamela Winchell were standing at the top of the stairs and they watched as Carlos dragged Cecil up. Once in the hallway, they moved as fast as they could, Pamela helping as well. Josie’s blonde angel was waiting at the fire door with Officer Hardy.

“We’ve hijacked a helicopter to get you out. Is he hurt?” Hardy asked.

“I don’t know, he won’t talk,” Carlos said. Hardy replaced Dana and led them to where a helicopter was waiting in the gardens outside City Hall. Carlos could hear Hiram McDaniels’ roar as Hardy helped him get Cecil into the helicopter. Carlos sat with Cecil, unable to let go of his hand, while Hardy helped the others inside. Tamika and the black angel were the last to climb in, Josie yelling for Hiram to stop, before the helicopter started up and they took off.

It wasn’t long before StrexCorp started firing shots.

“Get away from the doors!” Hardy yelled over the commotion of the rotors.

Carlos glanced over his shoulder to the open door before he heard a loud _bang_ and pain exploded in his shoulder. He screamed and collapsed over Cecil. Reaching up, his fingers came away wet and through the stars dancing in his eyes, he could see blood. He felt hands on him, tugging him away from the door and from Cecil. He reached back, ignoring the pain that surged through him as he called for Cecil.

“Cecil, say something! Cecil!”

Someone pressed down on his shoulder and he screamed. More shots were fired and someone else cried out. Carlos kept reaching for Cecil, blinded by his tears, but his hand found nothing as he was overwhelmed by pain.

**Author's Note:**

> Woah okay I'm nervous. This is my first Night Vale fic and it's been a surprisingly nerve-wracking experience so far. I hope you've liked the first chapter though. I hope you stick around for the journey :) I'll be posting and tagging it on tumblr as well as "fic: malleable minds" and you can find me at cre8iveovadose(.)tumblr(.)com
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day :) -Em


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